If You Give a Person a God

If you give a person a god, they will try to understand it in terms that they know.
They will imagine that it looks like a grandfather, because it is supposed to have been around for a long time. It is supposed to be wise.

If you say it is all-powerful, they will ask it for things.
If you say it will make all things new, they will beg it to come back soon.

If you say it was born of a virgin and made people all better, they will think it is wonderful. 
They will want to hear the story again and again.

When they get a little older you will tell them that there are no monsters, no magic, no Santa Claus. 
They will start to think that the stories about god sound a lot more like fiction than fact.

They will read hero stories and rejoice that good triumphs over evil.
Then, they will look at the world and wish it were true.

They will wonder what to do about all of the confusion.
They will want to re-invent god, so they can believe the stories again.